U.S. patent number 9,578,152 [Application Number 13/650,230] was granted by the patent office on 2017-02-21 for telephonic-based engagements.
This patent grant is currently assigned to American Well Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is Roy Schoenberg. Invention is credited to Roy Schoenberg.
United States Patent |
9,578,152 |
Schoenberg |
February 21, 2017 |
Telephonic-based engagements
Abstract
Described are techniques for providing broker services to
consumers and service providers based on telephonic call-back
engagements. The techniques include receiving a telephonic-based
communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider
and determining a suitable service provider to reply to the
telephonic-based communication from the consumer. The techniques
add an entry corresponding to the consumer to a queue maintained
for the suitable service provider, and when the consumer in the
queue is at the top of the queue, initiate a call-back to a device
used by the consumer.
Inventors: |
Schoenberg; Roy (Boston,
MA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schoenberg; Roy |
Boston |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
American Well Corporation
(Boston, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
50727944 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/650,230 |
Filed: |
November 20, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20140140489 A1 |
May 22, 2014 |
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US 20150334214 A9 |
Nov 19, 2015 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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12348642 |
Jan 5, 2009 |
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11763680 |
Jun 15, 2007 |
7590550 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/271 (20130101); H04M 3/00 (20130101); H04M
3/5231 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/64 (20060101); H04M 1/27 (20060101); H04M
3/523 (20060101); H04M 3/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;379/266.01,266.02,266.03 ;705/2,3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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Primary Examiner: King; Simon
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a
communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider;
determining one or more suitable service providers based on a
geographic location of the consumer and which of one or more
service providers are licensed to provide medical services in the
geographic location; identifying, by a computer system from a
plurality of service provider queues for different service
providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only for a
suitable service provider licensed to provide medical services in
the geographic location of the consumer; wherein the service
provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider for
filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to have
consultations with the particular service provider; adding an entry
corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue
maintained for the suitable service provider; and when the suitable
service provider is presently available, initiating a call-back or
a text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with
presently available specifying that the service provider is online
and not engaged in a consultation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a call-back further
comprises: sending a telephone number of the consumer to the
service provider, to have the service provider initiate the
call-back between the service provider and the consumer.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a call-back further
comprises: sending the call-back to the device used by the consumer
and to the device used by the service provider; receiving an
indication that the device used by the consumer accepted the
call-back; and joining a connection with the consumer device and a
connection with the provider device to establish a communication
channel between the device used by the consumer and the device used
by the provider.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining by a
representative attributes of the communication from the
consumer.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining from an
interactive voice recognition process attributes of the
communication from the consumer.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing an
indication to at least one of the device used by the consumer and
the device used by the service provider at a time near a time limit
for a telephone call.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the service provider queue for
the service provider is populated with entries from requests for
on-line consultations and for telephonically received requests for
consultations that are ordered in the service provider queue
according to time of arrival.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling the consumer
and the service provider to provide availability indications; and
wherein sending further comprises: sending the telephone number to
the device used by the service provider to initiate the call-back
when the availability indications for the consumer and the service
provider indicate that the consumer and the service provider are
both available.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a time limit
for the call-back.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request
from one of the consumer and the service provider to establish a
telephone based call-back.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying
the service provider queue that is maintained for the suitable
service provider comprises identifying a service provider queue
that is maintained for a selected one of the one or more suitable
service providers.
12. A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer
readable storage device for providing broker services to consumers
and service providers, the computer program product comprising
instructions for causing a computer to: receive a communication
from a consumer to consult with a service provider; determine one
or more suitable service providers based on a geographic location
of the consumer and which of one or more service providers are
licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location;
identify, from a plurality of service provider queues for different
service providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only
for a suitable service provider licensed to provide medical
services in the geographic location of the consumer; wherein the
service provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider
for filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to
have consultations with the particular service provider; add an
entry corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue
maintained for the suitable service provider; and when the suitable
service provider is presently available, initiating a call-back or
a text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with
presently available specifying that the service provider is online
and not engaged in a consultation.
13. The product of claim 12, wherein instructions to initiate a
call-back further comprise instructions to: send a telephone number
of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service
provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and
the consumer.
14. The product of claim 12, wherein instructions to initiate a
call-back further comprise instructions to: initiate a telephonic
call-back to the device used by the consumer and to the device used
by the service provider; receive an indication that the device used
by the consumer accepted the call-back; and join a connection with
the consumer device and a connection with the provider device to
establish a communication channel between the device used by the
consumer and the device used by the provider.
15. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:
determine attributes of the communication from the consumer.
16. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:
determine from an interactive voice recognition process attributes
of the communication from the consumer.
17. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:
enable the consumer and the service provider to provide
availability indications; and wherein sending further comprises:
send the telephone number to the device used by the service
provider to initiate the call-back when the availability
indications for the consumer and the service provider indicate that
the consumer and the service provider are both available.
18. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to: set
a time limit for the call-back.
19. The product of claim 18, further comprises instructions to:
provide an indication to at least one of the device used by the
consumer and the device used by the service provider at a time near
a time limit for a telephone call.
20. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:
receive an indication that extends the length of a telephone call
between the consumer and the service provider.
21. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:
receive a request from one of the consumer and the service provider
to establish a telephone based communication.
22. An apparatus comprising: a processor; memory in communication
with the processor; and a computer program product stored on a
computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers
and service providers, the computer program product comprising
instructions for causing the processor to: receive a communication
from a consumer to consult with a service provider; determine one
or more suitable service providers based on a geographic location
of the consumer and which of one or more service providers are
licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location;
identify, from a plurality of service provider queues for different
service providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only
for a suitable service provider licensed to provide medical
services in the geographic location of the consumer; wherein the
service provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider
for filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to
have consultations with the particular service provider; add an
entry corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue
maintained for the suitable service provider; and when the suitable
service provider is presently available, initiate a call-back or a
text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with
presently available specifying that the service provider is online
and not engaged in a consultation.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein instructions to initiate a
call-back further comprise instructions to: send a telephone number
of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service
provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and
the consumer.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure is directed to connecting consumers with
service providers.
Systems have been developed to connect consumers and their
providers over the Internet and the World Wide Web. Some systems
use e-mail messaging and web-based forms to increase the level of
connectivity between a member of a health plan and his assigned
health care provider. The consumer sends an e-mail or goes to a
website that generates and sends a message (typically an e-mail or
an e-mail type message) to a local provider. These types of
services have been broadly referred to as "e-visits."
Other health care solutions include technologically advanced
telephone communication solutions that use advances in voice
communication and data transmission technology to interconnect
medical professionals with patients.
For instance, a professional association contracts with providers
capable of providing the necessary services to consumers. Consumers
call a toll-free number to request a consultation with a provider.
The request is processed after the consumer hangs up the telephone
and the consumer waits for a return phone call. While this
arrangement can have certain advantages of potentially providing
lower cost for services such as health consolations to patients,
there are drawbacks.
One particular drawback is that patients wait for the return call
from the physician. This can be frustrating when an immediate
consultation is desired. Moreover, with the callback, the patient
may become unavailable when the physician finally calls the patient
back. Accordingly, such patients may opt to visit the emergency
room a local hospital instead of waiting for the return phone
call.
SUMMARY
According to an aspect, a computer-implemented method includes
receiving a telephonic-based communication from a consumer to
consult with a service provider, determining a suitable service
provider based on provider availability, that is currently
available to reply to the telephonic-based communication from the
consumer, adding an entry corresponding to the consumer to a queue
maintained for the suitable service provider, and when the consumer
in the queue is at the top of the queue, initiating a call-back to
a device used by the consumer.
According to an aspect, a computer program product tangibly stored
on a computer readable storage device for providing broker services
to consumers and service providers, the computer program product
comprising instructions for causing a computer to receive a
telephonic-based communication from a consumer to consult with a
service provider, determine a suitable service provider to reply to
the telephonic-based communication from the consumer, add an entry
corresponding to the consumer to a queue maintained for the
suitable service provider; and when the consumer in the queue is at
the top of the queue, and initiate a call-back to a device used by
the consumer.
According to an additional aspect, an apparatus includes a
processor, memory in communication with the processor, and a
computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for
providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the
computer program product comprising instructions for causing the
processor to receive a telephonic-based communication from a
consumer to consult with a service provider, determine a suitable
service provider to reply to the telephonic-based communication
from the consumer, add an entry corresponding to the consumer to a
queue maintained for the suitable service provider; and when the
consumer in the queue is at the top of the queue and initiate a
call-back to a device used by the consumer.
The following are some of the features within the scope of the
above aspects. Initiating a call-back includes sending a telephone
number of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service
provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and
the consumer. Initiating a call-back includes sending the call-back
to the device used by the consumer and to the device used by the
service provider, receiving an indication that the device used by
the consumer accepted the call-back and joining a connection with
the consumer device and a connection with the provider device to
establish a communication channel between the device used by the
consumer and the device used by the provider. A representative
determines attributes of the telephonic-based communication from
the consumer.
A system using an interactive voice recognition process determines
attributes of the telephonic-based communication from the consumer.
The consumer and the service provider are enabled to provide
availability indications, and the telephone number is sent to the
device used by the service provider to initiate the call-back when
the availability indications for the consumer and the service
provider indicate that the consumer and the service provider are
both available. A time limit for the call-back is set. An
indication is provided to at least one of the device used by the
consumer and the device used by the service provider at a time near
the time limit for the telephone call. The queue for the service
provider is populated with entries from requests for on-line
consultations and for telephonically received requests for
consultations that are ordered in the queue according to time of
arrival. A request is received from one of the consumer and the
service provider to establish a telephone based call-back. A
request is received from one of the consumer and the service
provider to establish a telephone based communication.
One or more of the following advantages may be provided by one or
more of the above aspects. Consumers can call, e.g., a toll-free
number to request a consultation with a provider and the will be
processed immediately. After the consumer hangs up the telephone
the consumer will wait for far shorter periods for a return phone
call because availability of providers is being tracked, thus
providing advantages of potentially lower cost for services such as
health consolations to patients, while greatly minimizing
consumers' waiting time for the return call from the provider. Thus
this can minimize frustration when an immediate consultation is
desired. Moreover, this approach the callback model can be
integrated into a real time communication channel based brokerage
model.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a telephonic-based engagement
brokerage system.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are flow charts useful in understanding the
telephonic-based brokerage service.
FIG. 4 is block diagram of availability processing.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are block diagrams of queue structures.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are screenshots of graphical user interfaces.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Overview
The system described below provides an integrated information and
communication platform that enables consumers of services to access
service providers to consult and to carry out such consultations
with in an efficient manner. Consumers are able to consult with an
expert service provider even when the two parties are
geographically separated. This integrated platform is referred to
herein as telephonic-based engagement brokerage system (or
depending on the context brokerage service).
Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary networked computer system 100
having telephonic-based engagement brokerage functionality,
includes a computerized system or server 110 for processing
telephonic requests from consumers 120 at client systems 122 to
engage with providers at provider systems 132. The networked
computer system 100 implements a brokerage service embodied as a
telephonic-based engagement brokerage. The networked computer
system 100 during telephonic-based engagement brokerage provides
information to service providers 130 at client systems 132, over a
network 140, e.g., a telephonic network that can be a switched
network and/or that can include the Internet (e.g., voice over IP
(VOIP)). In some implementations, the networked computer system 100
includes a web server 102 to receive on-line web based
requests.
In one implementation, the server 102 receives a telephone call.
The telephone call is parsed to identify the particular ailment or
concern, etc. of the patient 120. This parsing can be done
automatically such as through an interactive voice response system
using either speech recognition or a keypad-based menu system, or
manually by the consumer engaging with a customer service
representative (CSR).
The server 110 includes an availability or presence tracking module
112 for tracking the availability of the service providers 130.
Availability or presence is tracked actively or passively. In an
active system, one or more of the service providers 130 provides an
indication to the server 110 that the one or more service providers
are available to be contacted by consumers 120 and an indication of
the mode by which the provider may be contacted. In some examples
of an active system, the provider's computer, phone, or other
terminal device periodically provides an indication of the
provider's availability (e.g., available, online, idle, busy) to
the server 110 and a mode (e.g., text, voice, video, etc.) by which
he can be engaged. In a passive system, the server 110 presumes
that the service provider 130 is available by the service
provider's actions, including connecting to the server 110 or
registering the provider's local phone number with the system. In
some examples of a passive system, the server 110 indicates the
provider 130 to be available at all times until the provider logs
off, except when the provider is actively engaged with a consumer
120.
The server 110 also includes one or more processes in addition to
the tracking module 112, such as a scheduling module 116. The
server 110 accesses one or more databases 118. The components of
the server 110 and the web server 102 may be integrated or
distributed in various combinations as is commonly known in the
art.
The networked computer system 100 allows a consumer 120 to
communicate with a provider 130. In some embodiments, such as a
telephonic call-back engagement, the server 110 will send to the
provider sufficient information to allow the provider to call back
the consumer. However, in contrast to known techniques the server
110 has chosen the provider based on criteria including current
availability, as will be discussed below.
In other embodiments, the consumer 120 and provider 130 connect to
the server 110 through a telephonic switch or a website or other
interface on the web server 102 using client devices 122 and 132,
respectively. Client devices 122 and 132 can be any combination of,
e.g., personal digital assistants, land-line telephones, cell
phones, computer systems, media-player-type devices, and so forth.
The client devices 122 and 132 enable the consumers 120 to input
and receive information as well as to communicate via video, audio,
and/or text with the providers 130.
Limited by office hours and other patients, providers struggle with
the idea of adding another service commitment to their existing
workload. Patients sending queries to their providers cannot expect
an immediate response and are often asked to schedule an
appointment for further evaluation. Providers are, however, often
available at times that are not convenient for their patients, for
example, in the event of a last-minute cancellation. Providers also
may be available for e-visits during otherwise idle times; such as
when home, during their commute, and so forth. The brokerage
supplements existing provider availability to allow whichever
providers are available at any given time to call consumers for
callback engagements or the other types of engagements mentioned
above. Instead of relying on the unlikely availability of a
specific provider for any given consumer, the brokerage finds for
the consumer currently available providers capable of addressing
the consumer's needs.
One advantage that the brokerage provides is that the brokerage
constantly monitors the availability of a provider for an
engagement. Thus, consumers receive relatively quick attention to
address their questions or concerns. When engaging via telephone
with call-back, the server 110 forwards the patient connection
information to currently available service providers allowing those
service providers to call-back the consumer. In order to achieve
such a level of availability, the networked computer system 100
assimilates the discretionary or fractional availability windows of
time offered by individual providers at stations 132 into a
continuous availability perception by consumers. Consumers will
have little expectation that the same provider will be constantly
available, rather, they expect that some provider will be
available.
The server 110 provides information and services to the consumers
120 in addition to providing connection information to service
providers 130. The server 110 includes an access control facility
114 that manages and controls whether a particular consumer 120 can
access the networked computer system 100 and what level or scope of
access to the features, functions, and services the networked
computer system 100 will provide.
The consumer 120 uses the networked computer system 100 to find out
more information about a topic of interest or, for example, a
potential medical condition. The server 110 identifies service
providers 130 that are available at any given moment to communicate
with a consumer about a particular product, service, or related
topic or subject, for example, a medical condition. The server 110
facilitates establishment of communication directly by provider 130
with the consumer 120, enabling them to communicate, for example,
via telephonic or video or voice communication channel (such as
Voice over IP), land and mobile telephone network channels, and
instant messaging or chat.
The availability of one or more providers 130 is tracked. In
callback examples, when a consumer 120 desires communicate with a
provider, a request is processed through intake and the server 110
determines a currently available provider for a call back.
In non-callback examples, at the instant a consumer 120 desires to
connect and communicate with a provider, the server 110 determines
whether that provider is available. If that particular provider 130
is available, the server 110 assesses the various modes of
communication that are available forwards connection information of
the consumer 120 to the service provider 130 through one or more
common modes of communication. The system selects a mode of
communication to use based in part on the relative utility of the
various modes.
A mode for a non-callback engagement has both the consumer 120 and
the provider 130 use web-based consoles, as this allows each of the
other modes to be used as needed. For example, consumers and
providers may launch chat sessions, voice calls, or video chats
from within a web-based console like that shown in FIG. 2A, below.
A web based console also provides on-demand access to records, such
as the consumer's medical history, and other information. If only
one of the participants in an engagement has access to a web
console, the server 110 connects that participant's console to
whatever form of communication the other party has available. For
example, if the consumer is on the phone and the provider is using
a web browser, the server 110 may connect the consumer's phone call
to a VoIP session that the provider can access through the web. If
the provider 130 is not available, the server 110 identifies other
available providers 130 that would meet the consumer 120's needs.
The server 110 enables the consumer 120 to send a message to the
consumer's chosen provider.
By way of illustration, the networked computer system 100 services
patients that are members of healthcare plans. For example, the
service providers 130 may be physicians, and the service consumers
120 may be patients. The service providers and service consumers
may also be lawyers and clients, contractors and homeowners, or any
other combination of a provider of services and a consumer of
services.
The system enables the consumer to search for providers that are
available at the time the consumer is searching, and enables the
consumer to engage a provider on a transactional basis or for a
one-time consultation. A consumer can use the system for various
purposes, such as a consultation or second opinion.
Many of the web-based functions are also provided by an Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) system, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No.
7,590,550 entitled: "Connecting Consumers with Service Providers",
the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety. As
noted, a consumer can access the IVR system via a telephone and the
server 110 parses responses into a formulation of the consumer's
inquiry either by keypad entries or speech recognition
technologies.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an example processing for use in the
networked computer system 100 for call-back engagements is shown.
In an embodiment, a patient calls into the networked computer
system 100. The server 110 through a CSR (customer service
representative) enrolls 142 the patient in an online-care program
offered by the system. The CRS finds a suitable provider and places
146 the patient in a queue discussed below. In an alternative, the
patient searches 152 for provider using an automated IVR system.
The patient after finding a suitable patient places herself in a
queue using the IVR system. With either system after being placed
in the queue, the patient hangs up 158. In the IVR mode mentioned,
it is not intended to describe the IVR system in detail, since many
logic flows for such a system are possible. Exemplary logic flows
are in the above US patent. Moreover, the exact details on
questions and sequences are not important to an understanding of
the concepts disclosed herein.
Referring now to FIG. 3, from the provider's viewpoint, the
provider chooses 170 a phone patient from a virtual waiting room.
The virtual waiting room can include not only phone based patients
but other patients such as patients that have accessed a portion of
the server 110 that is involved with real time consultations that
are initialed on line rather than telephonically. System
facilitates 172 calls between the patient and the provider. In one
implementation, the facilitation can be as simple as passing the
patient connection information to the provider and have the
provider initiate a phone consultation 174 with the patient.
In other implementations, the facilitation can be establishing a
real time communication channel between the patient and the
provider with the channel being established through the server 110.
In this other implementation, server 110 establishes the
communication channel between the server 110 and a device used by
the patient. Server 110 also establishes a communication channel
between server 110 and a device used by the provider. To facilitate
the consultation, the server 110 joins the communication channel
established between server 110 and the device used by the patient
with the communication channel established between the server 110
and the device used by the provider.
In the IVR system mode, the voice prompts include questions or
statements that elicit information from the consumer 120 and the
provider 130. The consumer 120 and the provider 130 input
information by speaking into the microphone of the telephone or
other terminal device and their speech is stored as received or
converted to text using voice recognition. In some examples, the
questions are multiple choice questions and the consumer 120 or the
provider 130 responds with spoken responses or by pressing buttons
on the keypad of their phone or other terminal device. The IVR
system follows a logical flow and can include a menu system, in
which case the consumer 120 or provider 130 moves forward or
backward, or exits the system by pressing certain keys.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the server 110 tracks 142 the availability
of providers 130 and in some embodiments, on-line consumers 120.
When a provider 130 logs 144 into the networked computer system
100, the provider 130 indicates 146 (such as by setting a check box
or selecting a menu entry or by responding to a voice prompt) to
the tracking module 112 that he or she is available to interact
with consumers 120. The provider 130 can also indicate 148 to the
tracking module 112 (such as by setting a check box or selecting a
menu entry or by responding to a voice prompt) the modes (e.g.,
telephone, chat, video conference) by which a consumer 120 can be
connected to the provider 130.
Alternatively, in non-callback modes, the tracking module 114
determines 150 the capabilities of the terminals 122 and 132 the
consumer 120 and the provider 130 use to connect to the system (for
example, by using a terminal-based program to analyze the hardware
configuration of each terminal). Thus, if a provider 130 connects
to the networked computer system 100 by a desktop computer and the
provider has a video camera connected to that computer, the
tracking module 112 determines 150 that the provider 130 can be
engaged by text (e.g., chat or instant messenger), voice (e.g.,
VoIP) or video conference. Similarly, if a provider 130 connects to
the system using a handheld device such as a PDA, the tracking
module 112 determines 152 that the provider 130 can be engaged by
text or voice, whereas, if the consumer connects to the networked
computer system 100 via a telephone for a telephonic engagement the
provider will reply with a telephone call to the consumer.
The tracking module 112 can also infer 152 a provider's
availability and modes of engagement by the provider's previously
provided profile information and the terminal device through which
the provider connects to the system.
Providers participating in the brokerage network can have several
states of availability over time. States in which the provider may
be available include "on-line", in which the provider is logged-in
and can immediately accept new engagements in any mode, "on-line
(busy)", in which the provider is logged-in but is currently
occupied in another engagement, and "scheduled", in which the
provider is offline but is scheduled to be online at a designated
time-point and can pre-schedule engagements for it.
While not online, the provider can take messages as in offline
state. Thus, another state includes off-line, in which the provider
is not logged in but can take message-based engagements (i.e.,
asynchronous engagements), out-of-office, in which the provider is
not accepting engagements or messages, and "on call", in which the
provider is offline and can be paged to go to on-line status by the
brokerage network if traffic load demands it (in some examples,
consumers see this state as offline).
The operating business model for the provider network employs a
remuneration scheme for providers that helps assure that the
consumers can find providers in designated professional domains in
the online mode. For example, selected providers can be remunerated
for being in the on-call mode to encourage on-line availability in
case of low discretionary availability by other providers in their
professional domain. On-call providers are also called into the
on-line state when the fraction of on-line (busy) providers domain
exceeds a certain threshold.
Referring now to FIG. 5A, the tracking module 112 (FIG. 1)
transfers 154 (FIG. 4) information about the availability and the
communication capabilities of the consumers 120 and the providers
130 to the scheduling module 116. The scheduling module 116 uses
the tracking information to schedule providers with consumers. In
one scheduling algorithm, each provider is associated with a queue,
e.g., 172a-172n. The queue for each provider is filled by the
server 110 with entries (as depicted as entries n and entries m)
that represent consumers that desire to have consultations with a
provider. More specifically, as consumers access the networked
computer system 100 and are processed through the intake process,
entries representing the consumers are produced by the server 110
and those entries are queued.
In one embodiment, the server 110 stores the entries in queues of
those providers that the server determines has the least number of
entries, in order to balance provider utilization across the system
100, and to otherwise minimize overall response time for consumers.
The server 110 will use a first in first out priority scheme to
retrieve records from the query in order to furnish information to
providers for servicing clients such as through call-backs.
Thus, in a telephonic engagement, as described above, after intake
processing (or alternatively before intake processing has been
completed) the server 110 produces an entry for storage in one of
the queues (generally 172). The server 110 examines the queues
172a-172n of all providers that are suitable to provide a
consultation with the consumer and the server chooses the queue of
a suitable provider that has the least number of entries waiting to
be processed. The queue, e.g., queue 172a of the chosen provider
(provider-a) is loaded with that entry. A telephonic call-back
engagement can be either one that is a scheduled engagement where
the server 110 provides a time for the call-back based on when each
of the consumer and provider are available or a non-scheduled
call-back based on the available provider.
In servicing consumer requests, for a particular provider, the
server 110 retrieves the entry of a consumer that is next to be
serviced (generally the oldest entry in the queue 172). As the
provider services that consumer, the server 110 removes the
corresponding entry from that provider's queue and then the server
110 promotes all remaining entries in that queue such that the next
entry in the queue to be serviced will be now be the oldest
entry.
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the queues
(generally 172') for each provider are sub-divided or represented
as plural sub-queues with each of the sub-queues corresponding to
an appointment "state." In FIG. 5B, two queues 172a-1 to 172a-2 and
172n-1 to 172n-2 are shown for each of the providers, e.g.,
"provider a" to "provider n" with the sub-queues 172a-1 to 172a-2
and 172n-1 to 172n-2 representing, "waiting room" and "scheduled
appointments" of the respective providers "provider a" to "provider
n."
In this embodiment, the server using scheduling module 116,
examines the queues of all providers that are suitable to provide a
consultation with the consumer and chooses the appropriate
sub-queue of a suitable provider that has the least number of
entries waiting to be processed for the particular state, e.g.,
"waiting room" and "scheduled appointments." More specifically, for
"telephonic engagements" the server loads entries into the waiting
room queue of the particular provider that has the fewest
entries.
In servicing requests, for a particular provider, the system
retrieves the entry of a consumer that is next to be serviced from
the waiting room for that provider. The next to be serviced is
according to the following priority the oldest entry in the waiting
room, unless the server determines that the scheduled appointment
queue of the provider has either an entry for a scheduled
telephonic callback or scheduled appointment that has an scheduled
appointment time that is either equal to the current time or would
be within a time window where the servicing of a waiting room entry
or a new request would adversely impact servicing of scheduled
telephonic callback or scheduled appointment queued entries. For
example, in some embodiments the system 100 could allocate a set
time period of, e.g., 15 minutes to service a request. Accordingly,
the server 110 would not select an entry from the waiting room
queue if there was a scheduled appointment in, e.g., 10
minutes.
Telephonic engagements without any scheduling will generally be
placed in and thus serviced from the waiting room sub-queue.
As the provider services a consumer from its sub-queue all
remaining entries (representing other consumers) in that sub-queue
are promoted such that the next entry in the sub-queue to be
serviced will be the next oldest entry.
In another embodiment, the server 110 stores all incoming
telephonic call-back engagements in a waiting room queue along with
other types of engagements. One queue is used for all providers and
the scheduling module 116 examines the queue and chooses the
provider that is next available.
Referring now to FIG. 6, in the call-back CSR assisted mode, a
customer service representative is presented with an interface 174
that has various information regarding a consumer (shown in
background). A find provider screen 176 is launched where the CSR
can select provider meta type which is "any" or various specialties
(not shown), consumer location (labeled customer current location)
that has standard locations. The screen 176 presents a price that
can be conveyed to the customer and the CSR then selects continue
to initiate the intake for the call back engagement.
Referring now to FIG. 7, in the call-back CSR assisted mode, the
customer service representative is presented with an interface 178
that displays a provider's waiting room. The interface shows
consumers that are presently waiting, the consumers availability
status, priority, etc. Connect controls are also shown. The connect
controls allow the system to initiate a call. A find provider
screen 176 is launched where the CSR can select provider meta type
which is "any" or various specialties (not shown), consumer
location (labeled customer current location) that has standard
locations. The screen 176 presents a price that can be conveyed to
the customer and the CSR then selects continue to initiate the
intake for the call back engagement.
As noted, the server 110 includes access control facilities 114
that control how consumers 120 access the system and to what extent
or level the services provided by the system are made available to
consumers. The server 110 also stores and provides access to
consumer information (e.g., contact information, credit and
financial information, credit card information, health information,
and other information related to the consumer and the services
purchased or otherwise used by the consumer) and provider
information (e.g., physician biographies, product and service
information, health related content and information and any
information the provider or the health plan wants to make available
to members) and the access control facility 114 can prevent
unauthorized access to this information. In some examples, the
server 110 exports the consumer information for use in a provider's
office or other facility.
In some implementations of the networked computer system 100
consumers access the either on-line and/or through the telephonic
engagements discussed above. In other implementations, of the
brokerage system 100 access is only through telephonic engagements.
In this later instance, the queue structures can be greatly
simplified. Several types of engagements may exist, e.g.,
"consumer-initiated engagements" "follow-up engagements" and
"prescheduled engagements" and "standby engagements."
In some embodiments, consumers may select providers according to
attributes of the provider, such as a geographical area where the
provider is located or which professional organizations have
accredited the provider (e.g., whether a doctor has board
certification in cardiology). Any metrics within the provider
profile can be used to define a list of providers that meet the
consumer's preferences. In this case, the system will use the
consumer's selection to override the least used scheme for
populating provider queues.
Modes of Engagement
Telephonic Callbacks--
Consumers who wish for a telephonic consultation with a provider
may use a traditional telephone to enter information, as discussed
above, and hangs up and waits for a call-back from a suitable
provider, as also discussed above. Providers are sent information
concerning the consumer in order to understand the consumer's issue
and a telephone number by which the provider contacts the
consumer.
In some embodiments of the networked computer system 100, the
networked computer system 100 allows consumers to engage provider's
e.g., health professionals "on demand" based on provider
availability. These engagements can be established in various ways
as described in the above mentioned patent. These types of
engagements include:
Passive Browsing--
Reference health content is accessed on the brokerage's website.
The website can support the use of licensed content packages from
other vendors to meet the variable preferences of health plans. For
example, key content vendors include Healthwise.TM., ADAM.TM., Mayo
Clinic.TM. and HealthDay.TM.. Content libraries provided by such
vendors offer a combination of articles, imagery, interactive
tutorials and related tools that allow consumers to access content
relevant for their health issues. Many health plans and major
employers already possess a license for the use of one of these
content packages.
Health Risk Assessments--
The system acquires information from consumers through automated
interaction (e.g., rules-based interaction) in order to crystallize
their needs (e.g., medical risks) and better direct them.
Assessments span from general health to very specific medical
conditions and follow a path of questioning that dynamically
tailors itself based on information already retrieved (e.g., using
predefined rules). As assessments progress, the system constructs
engagement suggestions that the consumer can exercise. Each
suggestion represents both the question to the provider and the
type of provider appropriate to answer it. Consumers may choose to
simply launch such engagements or apply their own discretion as to
the phrasing and the selection of the recipient provider. This is
discussed in more detail below in the context of the consumer
advisor.
Asynchronous Correspondence--
The lowest level of true provider interaction is by way of secure
messaging. The question or topic of the engagement is sent to a
selected provider (whether online or not) and can be answered by
this provider at her leisure. Turnaround times are monitored by the
system and are part of the credentials of the provider used for her
selection by consumers. The system informs the consumer once a
response has been received and can allow the consumer to redirect
the question if he needs more urgent response time. For example,
typical types of asynchronous correspondence include e-mail,
instant messaging, text-messaging, voice mail messaging, VoIP
messaging (i.e., leaving a message using VoIP), and paper letters
(e.g., via the U.S. Postal Service).
Synchronous Correspondence--
Several forms of synchronous correspondence allow the consumer and
the provider to engage in real-time discussions.
Synchronous Text Correspondence--
This may be referred to as a "Chat" module where both sides of the
engagement type their entries in response to each others' entries.
The form of communication may be entirely text based but is still a
live communication. Examples include instant messaging and SMS
messaging.
Web-Based Teleconferencing--
The use of broadband network connections allows for real-time voice
transmission over the Internet in what is referred to as full
duplex (i.e., both voice channels are open at the same time).
Consumers can opt to have a voice conversation with their providers
using, for example, their computer's speakers and microphone.
Web-based teleconferencing may use VoIP, SIP, and other standard or
proprietary technologies.
Telephonic Conferencing--
Consumers who wish for a direct telephonic communication with a
provider or who are not comfortable using their computer may use a
traditional telephone for interaction with a provider. The consumer
may use a dial-in number and an access code that connects him to
the brokerage's servers. Providers are linked to the servers via
VoIP, other data-network-based voice systems, or their own
telephones. Telephonic conferencing may also allow consumers to
request "call me now" functions, in which the provider calls the
consumer (directly or through the brokerage).
Video Conferencing--
The system can support video conferencing to allow consumers to
exhibit physical findings to providers if such disclosure is
needed. Consumers and providers may also simply prefer face-to-face
communication, even if remote. Small digital cameras, referred to
as webcams, attached to or built in to personal computers or
laptops can be used for this purpose. Video conferencing can be
provided by standard software or by custom software provided by the
brokerage. Alternatively, dedicated video conferencing
communication equipment or telephones with built-in video
capabilities can be used.
Semi Synchronous Correspondence--
Some engagements of a consumer with an online provider include both
synchronous and asynchronous interactions. Part of the engagement
takes place by immediate messaging between the two, but the
provider may ask the consumer to take occasional asynchronous
assessments if, for example, a generic line of question is desired.
This allows the provider to operate more than one consumer
engagement at a time while each consumer is constantly engaged. For
example, semi-synchronous correspondence includes a combination of
e-mail, instant messaging, test messaging, voice calls and mail
messaging, and VoIP calls and VoIP messaging.
Interactive Voice Response Engagements
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems allow for the deployment
of interactive audio menus over the phone. The caller can navigate
between options, listen to data-driven information, provide
meaningful input, and engage system functions. IVR engagements
extend the reach of the system to the telephone as a portable
consumer interface to launch an engagement in addition to the
Web-based interface. Consumers select a pin code on the application
to authenticate their identity if they call in. Several types of
engagements can be carried out through an IVR system using suitable
logic such as described in the Patent. For dial-in engagements, the
consumer calls in and invokes a telephonic engagement with an
available provider. The IVR system extends the consumer's ability
to select a provider to the phone so that the consumer's
interaction resembles one carried out on the Web.
The IVR system can also be used proactively to pursue consumers who
need a follow-up. At the time of a follow-up, the system recalls
the provider with whom the follow-up is desired (or the type of
provider in case the follow-up is not restricted to a specific
provider), identifies that the provider is available for an
engagement, and attempts to contact the consumer over the phone to
establish a connection for the engagement. Once contacted, the
consumer can decline or ask postpone the call. If the consumer
takes the call, the connection is made. When consumers are pursuing
an engagement with a provider that is either busy or currently
offline, the IVR system allows the consumer to park in a standby
mode until the provider is available. When the provider is
available, the system calls the consumer, identifies the provider
to the consumer, and verifies that the consumer is still interested
in pursuing the call with the provider. If the consumer is still
interested, an engagement is connected.
In addition to launching engagements, the IVR interface allows
consumers to interact with other services offered by the brokerage.
For example, consumers can instruct the system to fax a transcript
of their information to a fax machine that the consumer identifies
by keying in or speaking its phone number. Using such a function, a
consumer makes key information available to, e.g., emergency room
personnel or to a provider in an office visit, without the need to
plan, collect, print, and carry the information to that
encounter.
IVR hardware is readily available from telecommunication vendors
and can be programmed to operate in the context of the brokerage
framework. Authentication is provided through a PIN number or by
other standard methods.
The consumer information collected by the intake process may be
stored in the databases 118 as part of the overall brokerage. In
some examples, the consumer information is protected and secured
from unauthorized access and in compliance with the various legal
requirements for storing private consumer information (for example,
HIPPA governs access to an individual's health care information).
The database 118 may also the process logic and rules data
including the business logic of an application or rules for a rules
engine that implements the consumer advisor module.
The brokerage extends the result of any engagement to a physical
point of care or service provider to allow continuation or
escalation of services beyond those provided in the electronic
encounter.
Embodiments can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or
in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations
thereof. Apparatus of the invention can be implemented in a
computer program product tangibly embodied or stored in a
machine-readable storage device for execution by a programmable
processor; and method actions can be performed by a programmable
processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions
of the invention by operating on input data and generating output.
The invention can be implemented advantageously in one or more
computer programs that are executable on a programmable system
including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive
data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions
to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least
one output device. Each computer program can be implemented in a
high-level procedural or object oriented programming language, or
in assembly or machine language if desired; and in any case, the
language can be a compiled or interpreted language.
Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and
special purpose microprocessors. Generally, a processor will
receive instructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a
random access memory. Generally, a computer will include one or
more mass storage devices for storing data files; such devices
include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storage devices
suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and
data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of
example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and
flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks
and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD_ROM disks. Any
of the foregoing can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs
(application-specific integrated circuits).
Other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the
description claims. For example, due to the nature of software,
functions described above can be implemented using software,
hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these.
Features implementing functions may also be physically located at
various positions, including being distributed such that portions
of functions are implemented at different physical locations.
* * * * *